Machine for repositioning cartridge and link belts



N9v.4, 1947. E. L. SMITH ETAL MACHINE FOR REPOSITIONING CARTRIDGE- AND LINK BELTS Filed Oct. 6, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov, 4, 1947. E. l.. SMITH ET Al. 2,430,193

MACHINE FOR REPOSITIONING CARTRIDGE AND LINK BELTS Filed Oct. 6, 1944 K 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 4, 194.. E. l.. SMITH ETAL 2,430,193

' MACHINE FOR REPOSITIONING CARTRIDGE AND LINK BELTS Filed' Oct. 6, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 A TOR YS Nov. 4, 1947. E. SMITH ET AL.

MACHINE FOR REPosITIoNING CARTRIDGE AND LINK BELTS Filed Oct. 6. 1944 4'Sheets-Sheet 4 ITV QQN

I r? TTOR E Patented Nov. 4, 1947 MACHNE FOR REPOSITIONING CARTRIDGE AND LINK BELTS Elmer Lovell Smith, Longmeadow, and Carlton Wetsel, Springfield, Mass., assignors to Package aegis PHC Machinery Company, Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 6, 1944, Serial No. 557,504

(Cl. Sii-48) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a. machine for repositioning and verifying the position of cartridges in link belt ammunition and has for its object the provision of a small light portable machine of easily running character suitable to either hand or power operation.

In link belt ammunition the cartridges often become loose or misaligned in the connecting links and it is therefore desirable to run such link belts through a repositioning machine for accurate verification prior to the use of such ammuni' tion in automatic rearms,

The particular features of improvement herein have to do with the means for mounting the loading plungers, and the driving means therefor, all to the end of making a machine especially easy for operation by hand.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the machine with the infeed cover in lifted position to show the feed wheel thereof;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of said machine from the infeed side; Y

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation of the machine; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows. Y

Referring to said drawings the main frame of the machine is indicated at I and said frame is provided at the front and rear ends thereof with handles such as 2, whereby the same may be manually carried about. In feed chute 3 is provided at one side of the machine for guiding therein the linkbelt ammunition comprising cartridges C and connecting links L. A drum shaft 4 is mounted in suitable bearings for rotation in the frame of the machine and carries splined near its forward end an abutment sprocket wheel 5 adapted for lengthwise adjustment thereon and secured in position by spanner nuts 6 and 6a one at each side of said sprocket 5 as shown in Fig. 4. Also splined on the shaft 4 for rotation therewith is a drum-like feed wheel 'I fastened in position against a shoulder by Spanner nut 'Ia and provided on its periphery with pockets r recesses 8 in which the cartridges of the link belt are adapted to mesh for being fed through the machine. In the travel cf the link belt through the machine, the links L do not mesh with the feed wheel but are guided between the side of the pockets 8 and the abutment sprocket 5. The rear face of this sprocket serves as an end abutment for holding said links to an accurate position 2 when the cartridges are pushed therethrough by the positioning means as hereinafter described.

At the rear of feed wheel l and also carried on said shaft l5 for rotation therewith, is a plunger ring El which has fastened to its periphery, a ring gear IQ formed with a spur gear facey II and a beveled gear face I2. Mounted in circular equispaced disposition around the plunger ring 9 are a series of independently slidable plungers I3, the forward ends of which are adapted to be brought into successive alignment with the bases B of said cartridges C as the latter are carried over the top of the feed wheel in pockets 8. The front portions of the plungers are recessed or hollowed out to avoid any contact with the primers of the cartridge and the front end I4 of each plunger is adapted for engagement with a return cam later described.

The rear part of the main frame is provided with a housing extension Ia within Which is mounted the driving mechanism for the plungers I3. A xed axle bearing I5 is mounted in the housing Ia in a position at-right angles to the shaft 4. Rotatably mounted on said axle bearing I5 is a lantern pinion I6 disposed in tangential relation to the plunger ring and more particularly to the rear ends of the circular series of plungers in the face of said plunger ring 9. In other words the lantern pinion rotates in face wheel relationship to said plunger ring. Each of the trundle bars IT of said lantern pinion carries a rotatable sleeve I8 which has a limited slidable movement on its bar I'I to serve as a non-friction roller for engaging the rear of head I4 of a plunger I3 as shown in Fig. 4.

The pitch or circular distance between trundle bars is the same as that for the plungers I3 and it will be understood that the rotation of said lantern pinion will bring its trundles Il, I8 into successive engagement with the rear ends of plungers I3 within the plunger ring 9 for imparting thereto a forward movement against the bases of the cartridges. The connecting links L for the cartridges are held against the sprocket 5 as a limiting abutment whereby the cartridges are thrust home into properly positioned alignment within the links.

The lantern pinion It has fixed thereto a beveled gear 2li in driving mesh with the beveled face I2 of the ring gear Ill. The main driving shaft 2| for the machine is mounted in the main frame I in parallel relation to shaft and at its rear end has pinion 22 meshing with the spur face II on the said ring gear IEI. A crank handle 23 is fixed to shaft 2l and the operation of the main shaft thus drives the feed wheel shaft which in turn drives the lantern pinion. The return movement of said plungers i3 is effected by a prole cam wall 2li xed to the lower part of frame I, which engages the forward ends Yhl of said plungers as the latter are carried aro-und by the continued rotation of said plunger ring (see Fig. 4)

In the mechanism described, return springs for the plungers are not employed. Thus there is no resistance load to be overcome in the operation of the machine except the necessary work of repositioning the cartridges. The frictional resistance of the moving parts is negligible and the maximum results in easy running character are obtained for this type of machine.

We claim:

l. A machine for pushing cartridges into position in belt ammunition, comprising in combination a rotatable feed Wheel for progressively feeding a belt of cartridgesa plunger ring rotatably carried with'said feed wheel, a circular series of independently slidabfle plungers mounted in said ring and positioned for successive alignment with the bases of the cartridges on said feed wheel, a driver for imparting a forward movement successively to the several plungers in said ring, comn prising a lantern pinion mounted for rotation in face wheel relationship to said plunger ring so that a rotation of said lantern pinion serves to bring its trundles into engagement successively with the rear ends of said several plungers.

2. A machine for pushing cartridges into position in belt ammunition, comprising in combination a rotatable feed wheel for progressively feeding a belt of cartridges, a plunger ring rotatably carried with said feed wheel, a circular series of independently slidable plungers mounted in said ring and positioned for successivealignment with the. bases of the cartridges-on said feed wheel,

a driver for imparting a forward movement successively to the several plungers in said ring, comprising a lantern pinion mounted for rotation in face wheel relationship to said plunger ring so that a rotation of said lantern pinion serves to bring its trundles into engagement successively with the rear ends of said several plungers, and a stationary cam to return said plungers during the continued rotation of said plunger ring.

3. A machine for pushing cartridges into position in belt ammunition, comprising in combination a rotatable feed wheel for progressively feeding a belt of cartridges, a plunger ring rotatably carried with said feed wheeL- a circular series of independently slidable plungers mounted in said ring and positioned for successive alignment with the bases of the cartridges on said feed wheel, a driver for imparting a forward movement successively to the several plungers in said ring, comprising a lantern pinion mounted for rotation in face wheel relationship to said plunger ring so that a rotation of said lantern pinion serves to bring its trundles into engagement successively with the rear ends of said several plungers, a drive shaft for operating said fee-d wheel and plunger ring, and a bevel gear connection between said plunger ring and said lantern pinion.

4c. A machine for pushing cartridges into position in belt ammunition, comprising in combination a rotatable feed wheel for progressively feeding a belt of cartridges, a plunger ring rotatably carried with said feed wheel atone end thereof, a link abutment member rotatably carried with said feed wheel at the other end thereof, a circular series of independently slidable plungers mounted in said ring and positioned for successive alignment with the bases of the cartridges on said feed wheel, a driver for imparting a forward movement successively to the several plungers in said ring, comprising a lantern pinion mounted for rotation in face wheel relationship to said plunger ring so that a rotation of said lantern pinio-n serves to bring its trundles into engagement successively with the rear ends of said several plungers.

5. A machine for pushing cartridges into position in belt ammunition, comprising 4in combination a rotatable feed wheel for progressively feeding a belt of cartridges, a plunger ring rotatably carried with said fee-d wheel, a circular series of independently slidable plungers mounted in said ring and positioned for successive alignment with the. bases of the cartridges cn said feed wheel, a driver for imparting a forward movement successively to the several plungers in said ring, comprising a lantern pinion mounted for rotation in face wheel relationship to said plungerl ring, with the axis ofA rotation of said lantern wheel at right angles to the axis of rotation of said plunger ring so that a Arotation of said lantern pinion serves to bring its trundles into engagement successively with the rear ends of said several plungers.

6. A machine for pushing cartridges into position in belt ammunition, Comprising in combination a rotatable feed wheel for progressively feeding a belt of cartridges, a plunger ring rotatably carried with said feed wheel, a circular series of independently slidable plungers mounted in said ring and positioned for successive alignment with the bases of the cartridges on said feed wheel, a driver for imparting a forward movement successively to the several plungers in said ring, comprising a lantern pinion mounted for rotation in face wheel relationship to said plunger ring so that a rotation of said lantern pinion serves to bring its trundles into engagement successively with the rear ends of said several plungers, the trundles of said lantern pinion each comprising a roller capable of slidable movement lengthwise of the axis.

ELMER LOVELL SMTH. CARLTON WETSEL.

REFERENCES CHED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

